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1,026 pests in the Risk Register

About

The UK Plant Health Risk Register is a major step in implementing the recommendations of the independent Task Force
on Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity. It is a tool for government, industry and stakeholders to prioritise action
against pests and diseases which threaten our crops, trees, gardens and countryside. The Register is publicly
available.

Plant pests not yet on the Risk Register may still be subject to plant health controls. The Plant Health Risk Register does not represent a comprehensive record of all pests of plant health concern, it is an evolving document to which more pests are being added every month.

Epitrix potato flea beetles 29/02/2016

Updates and additions to the Risk Register December 2018 12/12/2018

The following pests have recently been added to the Risk Register.

Pests recently added to the Risk Register:Aleurocanthus spiniferus– The citrus spiny whitefly, a pest of citrus species, with some impact on pear and Prunus.Lema bilineata – The tobacco slug, a beetle pest of Solanaceous ornamentals.

Pests recently reviewed on the Risk Register:Phytophthora foliorum- A change of scenario for this fungal pathogen of Rhododendron, following its eradication in the UK.

If you have any comments on these entries, please leave them via the feedback box on the bottom of each webpage, and please ensure you mention the name of the pest you are commenting on.

The following pests have recently been reviewed:Tomato ringspot virus – EU regulated virus of certain ornamental, fruit and glasshouse crops, believed to be present at low levels in the UK.Tobacco ringspot virus - EU regulated virus of certain ornamental, fruit and glasshouse crops, also believed to be present at low levels in the UK.Meloidogyne ethiopica– a polyphagous nematode present in Africa and South America (previously confused with M. luci).Fusarium circinatum – pitch canker of pines, present in parts of Europe and beyond.

If you have any comments on these entries, please leave them via the feedback box on the bottom of each webpage, and please ensure you mention the name of the pest you are commenting on.

New features for the Risk Register 04/12/2017

We have been making some changes to the UK Plant Health Risk Register.Uncertainty. We have started to display summaries of uncertainty for some of the pests. Please note that uncertainty is currently displayed for only a tiny proportion of the total pests, though this number will increase over time. Here are some links to pests where uncertainty is displayed: Monoxia obesula, Neodiprion abietis, Opogona sacchari, Phenacoccus fraxinus.Archiving. In order to focus our attention on maintaining the Risk Register entries for pests we consider to pose a higher risk to the UK, we have started to “archive” pests which we have previously assessed as low risk. Archiving means that we will not actively update the Risk Register entry for that pest, unless significant new information becomes available. Archived pests are clearly marked with a banner at the top of the page. Again, the number of archived pests is currently very small, but will increase over time. Here are some links to archived pests: Herpetogramma licarsisalis, Hypothenemus seriatus, Paratylenchus tenuicauatus, Zaprionus indianus.

Xylella vectors 01/02/2017

The Risk Register entries for the North American vectors of Xylella fastidiosa have been reviewed, to take into account the mitigation provided by the current EU emergency measures. In North America, the vectors primarily belong to the sharpshooters (tribe Proconiini), whereas in Europe the primary vector has been the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius.

Once an adult insect has acquired Xylella, it is able to spread it for the remainder of its life, and thus insect vectors are a potential pathway of entry for the pathogen, and the risk assessed if that these vectors will enter carrying Xylella. The entries reviewed are:• Draeculacephala minerva – green sharpshooter• Carneocephala fulgida – red-headed sharpshooter• Graphocephala atropunctata – blue-green sharpshooterIn addition a new entry was created for Homalodisca vitripennis, the glassy-winged sharpshooter.

If you have any comments on these entries, please leave them via the feedback box on the bottom of each webpage, and please ensure you mention the name of the pest you are commenting on.

Viroids 13/12/2016

Viroids are virus-like pathogens which can be spread mechanically (e.g. on tools or gloves) by vegetative propagation and in some cases via seed and pollen. Pospiviroid is a genus of viroids of which many are recorded as pests of Solanaceous crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, where they cause stunting and yield losses. They can also infect various ornamental species, though infections are usually symptomless. The current regulatory status of various pospiviroids is being discussed at EU level, and protecting UK tomato and pepper crops is a priority. A factsheet from 2010 on viroids can be found here.

Recent Interceptions 15/11/2016

The following pests have recently been intercepted at the border or found in the UK for the first time, but assessed as posing a low risk to UK plant health. No statutory action will be taken against future findings of these pests:

Updates to the Risk Register 28/09/2016

Xylella fastidiosa has different subspecies and strains, which vary in their host range, impacts and ability to tolerate cold temperatures. Following the report of Xylella fastidiosa in Germany, a new entry has been created forXylella fastidiosa subspecies fastidiosa.

In addition, the following pests have been reviewed in response to new information:• Pseudaulacaspis pentagona– white peach scale, a pest spreading in Europe with occasional findings in the UK.• Dryocosmus kuriphilus – oriental chestnut gall wasp, updated in response to findings in the south-east of England.• Heterobasidion occidentale – a butt and root rot of conifers, updated after the completion of a pest risk analysis.

If you have comments on these or any other pests of the Risk Register, please write them in the comment box found at the bottom of each page on the UK Plant Health Risk Register website, ensuring you mention the name of the pest you are commenting on.

If you have any remarks on these, or any other Risk Register entry, please submit via the feedback box at the bottom of each web page. Please ensure you mention the name of the pest you are commenting on.

If you have any comments about these or any other entries or aspect of the Risk Register please leave them via the feedback box at the bottom on each page, mentioning the name of the pest you are commenting on.

Epitrix potato flea beetles 29/02/2016

Previously, two North American species of potato flea beetle were thought to have been introduced to Europe: Epitrix cucumeris and Epitrix similaris.

It is now known that the species previously known as Epitrix similaris in Spain and Portugal is actually a new, previously undescribed species, Epitrix papa, which has now been added to the Risk Register. This entry also reflects the mitigation provided by the new UK national measures.

The entry for Epitrix similaris has been revised to reflect the fact its distribution is limited to North America. The pest fact sheets will be updated soon.

If you have any comments or questions on these or any other Risk Register entries please leave them via the feedback box at the bottom of the page, mentioning the name of the pest your query relates to.

Example Searches

These are examples of some of the kinds of searches which are possible within the Risk Register and if you have any suggestions
for additional searches please feel free to provide these via the feedback box at the bottom of this page.

About plant health

The UK Plant Health Information Portal provides information about plant pests and diseases, including risk assessments,
links to other sites of interest and information on plant health controls and services provided by government.